Rivalry

Rivalry provokes new heights of mastery-in sports, business, in life. Mature competitors, who understand that the call to excel is ultimately within the self, can benefit from the reflection, inspiration, and camaraderie the other provides. When the world is perceived as an endless fight for limited resources, the promise of self-improvement can give way to fear aggression. Everybody loses.

 

Rivalry often includes an element of “fear aggression.” Suppose you’re worried that someone else’s power or prosperity will interfere with your own well-being. In that case, you’ll feel compelled to openly challenge or covertly undermine the perceived competitor in any number of ways.

 

Check your self-esteem if you find yourself drawn into some form of rivalry. How does this person threaten you? If she initiated the conflict by acting aggressively toward you, what fear or insecurity might you trigger in her? Rather than figuring out ways to undermine the other, becoming curious about the dynamic can lead to greater self-knowledge and empowerment.

 

Suppose you face the rivalry impulse in yourself without taking it out on the peer who triggered it. In that case, you’ll shine a light on those dark corners of your own soul that feel undeveloped, unappreciated, or lacking in some significant way. And if your rival is open to honestly exploring the impulse, you may find mutual respect and the potential for a strong friendship underneath the initial pain and mistrust.  

Way of the Horse Oracles